Two Tangipahoa men get 10-year sentences on four-offense DWI convictions

Two Tangipahoa Parish men both were sentenced to 10 years in prison for unrelated convictions on fourth-offense driving while intoxicated, District Attorney Scott Perrilloux reported Wednesday afternoon.

Judge Doug Hughes handed down the sentences in court last week to 56-year-old Richard Hawkins, of Independence, and 35-year-old Jermaine McGee, of Amite.

A state trooper spotted Hawkins weaving back and forth across the center line on Aug. 14, 2013. When the trooper pulled him over, he smelled marijuana, and Hawkins admitted to having smoked an hour before he was stopped and ultimately arrested, the District Attorney’s Office wrote in a news release.

McGee was pulled over Oct. 26 and was arrested after failing a field sobriety test and registering a 0.143 blood-alcohol content, the release says. An adult is considered to be driving drunk in Louisiana if his blood-alcohol level is 0.08 percent or above.

The men were sentenced on March 11 and both men must serve a minimum of two years before becoming eligible for parole.